Director of the Situation and Crisis Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Tarabrin gave recommendations regarding travel destinations for the New Year holidays
Director of the Department of the Situation and Crisis Center of the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Tarabrin
Moscow. 20th of December. website - Director of the Department of Situation and Crisis Center of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Tarabrin, in an interview with Interfax correspondents Daria Morozova and Anastasia Platonova, gave recommendations regarding travel destinations for the New Year holidays, called for vigilance of Russian tourists and advised to use the Russian Foreign Ministry application "foreign assistant", and also told in which countries beloved by Russian tourists there is a threat of possible arrests at the request of American intelligence services.
Vladimir Evgenievich, the New Year holidays are approaching and many Russians are going abroad. In your opinion, which traditionally tourist countries should you refrain from visiting due to the tense internal situation, and which ones would you recommend as traditionally stable? Does the Foreign Ministry plan to issue any warnings before the New Year with a request to refrain from visiting any regions of the world, in particular, in connection with the hunt by US intelligence agencies for Russian citizens?
On the eve of the New Year holidays, the risk of terrorist attacks increases. Recently IG (The Islamic State is a terrorist organization, prohibited in Russian Federation– IF), which is rapidly losing ground in the Middle East, called on its supporters to commit terrorist attacks in the European Union and the United States during this period. The intelligence services of many countries have pointed out this possibility, but, nevertheless, the Russian Foreign Ministry will not urge Russian tourists to refrain from visiting any states or tourist destinations. To date, the risk assessment does not provide grounds for such recommendations, of course, unless the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receives new relevant information.
At the same time, I would like to emphasize that tourists themselves, wherever they are, are always obliged to exercise maximum vigilance. By the way, it would be useful for those traveling abroad to familiarize themselves with the website of our department - DSCC (Department of Situational Crisis Center - IF), namely www.sos.mid.ru with warnings and recommendations on behavior in emergency and crisis situations, including in the event of a terrorist attack. On the website you can find useful recommendations on how to behave in such a case. We strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with it in connection with the upcoming holidays and planned trips.
It should also be noted that some popular tourist countries are currently experiencing military-political and social instability. Washington's decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem has led to a sharp escalation of the situation in the region: daily clashes between Palestinians and Israeli military and police occur in the Palestinian National Authority, and in many Muslim countries Anti-American and anti-Israeli demonstrations are taking place. Many citizens of the Russian Federation, meanwhile, travel to Israel and Palestine for treatment and to visit holy places. In this case, we recommend that they take new circumstances into account when planning their trip. Regarding the possible arrests of citizens of the Russian Federation in the United States and in third countries at the request of American intelligence services, it must be said that we have repeatedly confirmed the reality of such a threat and are forced to once again confirm that such a threat exists. In this regard, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry there is a list of countries that have entered into an extradition agreement with the Americans. Russian citizens, when planning trips abroad, are advised to weigh all possible risks, especially if they have reason to assume that there is a specific “interest” in them on the part of American intelligence services. In this case, everyone must make the decision to travel to a particular country independently.
What could be a factor in such interest, whether we are talking about financial obligations existing in the United States or something else?
Recently, information appeared in the media; on one of the Russian channels there was a special report about the hunt of American intelligence services for Russian “computer scientists” - specialists in the field of IT technologies. The circumstances for detention at the request of American intelligence services may be different: a person may, in the opinion of the Americans, commit some kind of offense in the field of IT technology, or there may be an interest of a different nature, so the possibility of such a specific interest must be taken into account when traveling.
Are there any countries on the list of countries that have an extradition agreement with the United States that Russians often choose for their travels?
There are such countries. For example, the list includes Greece. Now in this country there is a rather high-profile case about the extradition of Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik to the United States. He is an IT specialist whom American justice is trying to accuse of Bitcoin scams. Unfortunately, the Greek court decided to extradite him to the United States. But A. Vinnik’s lawyers continue to fight for him. Our law enforcement agencies, for their part, are seeking his extradition to Russia. At the same time, the Russian embassy in Greece continues to take measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of A. Vinnik. The final decision will be made by the Minister of Justice of Greece, so the story with A. Vinnik is not over yet.
There are known cases of detention of Russian citizens in other countries, for example, in Spain.
In which countries do most emergency situations occur with Russian tourists? What types of situations are we talking about? Is it possible to systematize regions by type of “danger”: terrorist threat, crime (of a property or non-property nature), poor epidemiological situation, significant cultural differences?
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not keep such statistics, but if you analyze the geography of incidents with Russian tourists, they most often occur in countries with a busy tourist flow: Thailand, Turkey, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, India and others. Mainly, we are talking about road traffic accidents, thefts, robberies, incidents on the water, as well as accidents in the mountains - with climbers and skiers. Incidents related to ignorance of local beliefs and customs are quite common.
Speaking about the regions as a whole, it is worth noting that there are relatively prosperous countries, and there are countries where the crime situation is difficult. Sometimes this concerns not the whole country, but some of its regions. Therefore, I would like to advise you to refer to the DSCC website, which displays areas within each country that should not be visited. It also provides information about what offenses against Russian tourists have been committed in certain regions. There are also quite prosperous countries in which one particular area is not recommended for visiting.
As for systematization by type of incident, it is worth noting that in Latin America the most common thefts and robberies occur. There are countries with a terrorist threat, but in principle you should not go there. For example, this is the north-east of Nigeria, where the terrorist group West African Province of the Islamic State operates (formerly Boko Haram, banned in the Russian Federation - IF), as well as Afghanistan. Therefore, if a tourist is planning a trip, I advise you to pay attention to the recommendations on the DSCC website.
What is the situation with the resumption of travel by Russian citizens to Turkey, would you recommend going there, taking into account the terrorist attacks last year, as well as the recent outbreak of viral diseases in this country? Do the Turkish authorities sufficiently ensure the security of Russian citizens?
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin recently visited Turkey, during his visit he stated that the number of Russian tourists who chose Turkey as their holiday destination increased 11 times in 2017 and amounted to 2.5 million people. Of course, the interest of Russian citizens in Turkey does not wane, it is becoming more and more active, and this is probably justified. I would like to note that Russian government agencies work on an ongoing basis with the relevant Turkish government agencies, both in terms of ensuring security and monitoring the sanitary and epidemiological situation. This situation in Turkey is changing, it is subject to seasonal fluctuations, and when planning a trip, it is necessary to very carefully monitor the information of Rospotrebnadzor, Rosturizm and other departments. I don’t see the need to give any recommendations: each person decides for himself, but the given figure of visits to this country by Russian tourists speaks for itself: Turkey is a country close to us, and I think that the tourist flow from Russia to Turkey will only increase.
Are the Turkish authorities, in your opinion, still coping with ensuring the safety of Russian citizens in their country?
I think yes, they are coping. But no one is safe from terrorist attacks. Moscow sees that Turkish government agencies are carrying out appropriate work and interacting with Russian ones. There is dialogue and work in this direction - this is the main thing.
How is the decision made that a particular destination is not recommended for visiting? Why is there sometimes inconsistency in the positions of departments? Many Russians now travel independently. What are typical mistakes Russian tourist? What are your recommendations for individual tourists to avoid unpleasant situations?
Decisions are made on the basis of information available to the Russian Foreign Ministry, which is received not only from embassies, but also from other government departments, as well as from the media, through social networks. The Russian Foreign Ministry closely monitors the evolution of existing crises, as well as the emergence of new crisis situations around the world. Based on this analytical work, our department develops recommendations for citizens traveling abroad and actively promotes them through its own resources and social networks. In addition to the “Foreign Assistant” application, the Russian Foreign Ministry website, the DSCC website, there are also pages on in social networks, where we are trying to promptly give recommendations and warn about local situations in various countries, such as a strike, inadequate operation of public transport, so that Russian tourists take this into account and take it into account. Let's be honest, not everyone considers it necessary to familiarize themselves with the information posted by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Unfortunately, sometimes our civilizational and cultural advice, which is contained in the “Countries of the World” section, is ignored. But it is precisely the violation of the rules of conduct accepted abroad that most often causes tourists to find themselves in difficult situations.
For example, Thailand recently passed strict anti-smoking legislation. electronic cigarettes. Violating it is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a huge fine. The relevant information was brought to the attention of tourists through all available resources: it was posted on the embassy website and on the DSCC website. However, Thai law enforcement authorities detained Russian citizens for smoking electronic cigarettes. By the way, a similar ban exists in Thailand regarding smoking regular cigarettes on the beaches. Ignorance of this law can also lead to unpleasant stories.
When abroad, you should first of all take into account the laws of the host country, as well as religious norms - for example, when visiting mosques. On the DSCC website for each country there are detailed information. In addition, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends that independent travelers install free mobile app"Foreign Assistant"
Please tell us more about the “Foreign Assistant” application. Does the Russian Foreign Ministry plan to introduce new ways of notifying Russians about emergencies abroad?
The Foreign Assistant application was officially presented by the Russian Foreign Ministry in September 2016. Through it you can get the maximum amount of information useful for tourists: about countries and regions, about the current situation in them - including in the field of security. The application contains the necessary contact information. During the entire operation of the application, users sent more than 11 thousand emergency alerts in countries of temporary residence. In the 14 months since the presentation of the application, almost 100 thousand people downloaded it, while the vast majority were satisfied with its work and functionality. It’s interesting that a similar application in Japan has 2 million subscribers, while ours is ahead of it in some respects. We believe that 100 thousand subscribers is a good number for Russia.
Concerning additional ways notifications, we are now closely engaged in registration public services for Russians to receive information about the occurrence of an emergency abroad and the procedure for action in this case. The service will be provided through a single portal of State Services and will begin operating during 2018. Every citizen will be able to electronic form order such a service and subsequently receive information through convenient communication channels - by mail, via SMS. The service will be free.
Is it possible to inform Russian tourists abroad about emergency situations in their country of residence in real time? For example, during a volcanic eruption in Indonesia, citizens of that country were sent messages about dangerous zones. Has anything similar been done and is being done for Russian tourists?
During the volcanic eruption in Bali, information about this was conveyed to our tourists by everyone possible ways: through the “Foreign Assistant” application, our pages on social networks, a hotline operated 24/7. There were a lot of calls to our department, and not one of them went unanswered. I can assure that the Russian Foreign Ministry, along with other departments of the Russian Federation, is acting in accordance with the current situation and its capabilities. IN foreign countries, we can act only with the consent of the country's authorities and within the parameters that they set.
As you mentioned, law enforcement agencies in various countries warned about possible terrorist attacks in European countries on New Year, do you have detailed information about which countries we might be talking about?
The Russian Foreign Ministry does not yet have information about specific EU countries where terrorist attacks could occur. If such information becomes available, it will be published immediately through the resources at our disposal. The threat of terrorist attacks is, unfortunately, a reality today; no country is immune to it. Recently prosperous cities and world tourist centers - Paris, London, Barcelona, Berlin - can no longer be called completely safe.
The main thing for all citizens traveling abroad is to be vigilant. If a tourist knows that unpleasant events are happening in a particular area of the city, there is no need to go there out of curiosity or any other considerations. We understand that during the New Year holidays it will not be possible to avoid crowded places. People don't travel to stay in hotels. But you must always be careful.
The created software and hardware complex (PAK DSKTS) allows you to track information about crisis situations online. The system carries out an intelligent search for media reports in Russian, English and French with the possibility of online translation.
Automation of activity processes
Automation of DSCC processes occurs using tools for preparing and approving documents, automatically assigning tasks, and sending notifications about various events. Templates for internal documents have been created in the system and routes for document approval have been developed in accordance with regulations.
Visualization of information on the map
An interactive world map plays a major role in the implemented hardware and software complex. It clearly shows occurred and predicted events, places of increased danger, coordinates and routes of movement of citizens, evacuation zones and many other objects.
Online meetings
The video conferencing system ensures the holding of operational online meetings of the Russian Foreign Ministry with other departments. It is designed specifically for a large number of participants remote from each other. All listeners can correspond in a general chat, ask questions to the speaker and demonstrate various materials.
Communication with citizens
The mobile application “Foreign Assistant”, integrated with the call center subsystem, helps citizens of the Russian Federation seek help, report emergency situations and obtain information of interest.
Using the “Foreign Assistant” application, citizens of the Russian Federation can: send a signal for help, call the Hotline of the Situation and Crisis Center, receive a notification about emergency in the host country, familiarize yourself with background information O different countries peace.
Our citizens will soon be able to receive emergency assistance abroad faster.
01.02.2013
The Department of Situation and Crisis Center (DSCC) appeared in the Russian Foreign Ministry only this year and became the 41st department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Now the DCSC is preparing for work in full swing, recruiting personnel, and equipping it with equipment. It is expected that by this summer the Center will already begin working with appeals from citizens who find themselves in an emergency situation abroad. Its director Dmitry Kazimirov spoke about what exactly the new structure will do.
According to him, the main task of the DSCC will be to coordinate the actions of our diplomatic missions in the event of an emergency with ministries and departments that can provide some assistance. Citizens will receive " hotline" With single number for the whole world. The call will either be free, or a Center employee will call the subscriber’s number immediately. Moreover, specially trained diplomats will be on the phone; they will be able to practical advice give, if necessary, a brief consultation. These same employees will contact embassies and consulates in the desired country.
DSCC also plans to launch mobile offers with “ panic button» similar to those that the Ministry of Emergency Situations has (“Mobile Rescuer”). Today, rescuers’ application only works in Russia, the Ministry of Emergency Situations will work abroad, but there are plans to combine them with automatic switching of the addressee - in the Russian Federation to the Ministry of Emergency Situations and to the Center abroad.
As soon as the applications are created and “put into operation,” they will be available for download on the DSCC website and at international airports in Russia, where special machines with Wi-Fi access. By the way, in addition to the opportunity for emergency communications the applications will provide brief information about the country where the subscriber is located, useful tips on safe stay in it, as well as contacts of the embassy and consulates.
In addition, a voluntary information service will be launched on the DSCC website - you can indicate your route and, in the event of an emergency or its high probability, the subscriber will receive a warning.
Such structures have been around for more than a year, and perhaps even more than a decade, successfully work for citizens of the USA, Western European countries, Singapore, Taiwan and a number of other countries. Their experience is also taken into account when creating the DSCC. Of course everything possible problems our citizens abroad and this Center will not solve it.
But new way quickly and reliably contacting the Russian embassy in a particular country, especially during off-hours, this is also very important. And if we talk about such extreme measures as evacuation from states affected by disasters or military clashes, then the main coordinator here will naturally be the DSCC.
From the site editor. Finally, the Russian state will be able to demonstrate how it “protects” its citizens abroad and at the same time exercises “patronage” in accordance with Article 61, Part 2 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. For our part, we invite the new Department to consider the wish that the Embassies and Consulates of the Russian Federation abroad have appropriate plans for the evacuation of Russian citizens and so that every Russian citizen registered at the consulate in a foreign state knows his place, his actions, understanding the nature of the actions of the Russian state in relation to him.
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